


Destiny Divine

by Ashaziel (AkotoshsBanana)



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Skyrim
Genre: Action/Adventure, Altmer (Elder Scrolls), Angst, Companions Questline (Elder Scrolls), Death, Dragonborn (Elder Scrolls), F/M, Famine - Freeform, Fantasy, Fluff, Graphic Description, Magic, Original Character(s), Relationship(s), Romance, Skyrim Civil War, Skyrim Main Quest, Slow Burn, Violence, War, smutt in near future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:55:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29854962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkotoshsBanana/pseuds/Ashaziel
Summary: Araniel wanted to change herself, change her future. Through and through with her sinful actions which changed the lives of others, now as dragonborn she wanted to make up for her mistakes. Along with her journey to stop the civil war and unknowing of her destiny, she must now face the reality if she can really change her self, or if all of the sacrifices she has taken were necessary.
Relationships: Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Miraak, Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Vilkas
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

“Run faster, Araniel!” A voice shouted through the midst of raging flames. A vehement shout came from a sword-toothed winged beast, who obliterated the surrounding towers and homes with it’s enormous beating wings that were the shades of the black starry night it was of that fated day. Rubble fell through the sky along with screams and shouts piercing the already heavy air. The young altmer girl ran, her barely clothed feet searing slowly with the hot debris collapsing on the floor. Along with wreckage falling upon each other in the small town in The Reach, the residents began to drop to the floor, the billowing smoke closing their lungs, with the last sight they saw as fire. Araniel ran through the smoke and fire, her once ragged breaths choked up to a silent gasp. She stood in ashes that swept across her raw feet, faltering when she was pushed back by a burst of wind. Once her aching eyes opened, she widened them, the sight that beheld her was a black dragon looking at her with red eyes.

“Where are you, Dovahkin?” A warm hot breath left as the dragon spoke those words. His smoldering eyes were filled with hatred and he opened his mouth wider, revealing his inner flesh, that was doused with blood. At the end of his throat a light began to grow as if he was preparing for something--- 

Araniel pushed forward and found herself heaving loudly in the small mine that she was staying at with the other vagabonds. Her clammy hands sunk into the cold damp furs that covered her from the cold winds that crept through mine’s broken worn down doors. She ran her scarred aching hands through the mess of hair she had on the right side of her head. The left side had been sheared off, with two lines that ran through it, originally she had meant to grow it out but it was just easier to maintain with only one side of hair. Araniel slapped her cheeks to add some color and murmured quietly, “Why in oblivion did I dream as a child, did I drink too much mead last night?” While heaving herself up, she kicked her messy furs to the side and braided her hair, letting it rest on her steel plated armor. 

“Oh good morning Ara, and good timing in waking up actually, the boss was looking for you.” A sweet faced orc chortled as he walked around the tunnels with his torch. It illuminated the wet walls with a strange glint, and the smell of smoke made Ara gag a little, it had made her think of the awful dream she had. 

“By Mara, Marcus why do you have that thing lit... we have a few up on the walls.” Araniel’s eyes singed as she looked at the flames on the old wooden stake, that flickered lively. 

The orc waved her off, “Trust me you would have this thing too if you had known some skeevers sneaked into the mine as well.”

“Eugh- Skeevers? That’s probably why I’m getting called up huh.”

“Hahah, you are a good skeever catcher! And you make the best food out of them too.”

“Ha, ha, yes.” Araniel squinted her eyes at Marcus’ back with her nose scrunched up.

She brooded her way down the mine, making the other bandits laugh loudly.  
“On skeever patrol agn Ara? Don’ worry you make tha bes food so it’s worth tha find.” One of the nord warriors shouted, slapping his knee with delight. The others around the fire pit snorted and another shouted out.

“Oi, when you cook this time, add a little bit more salt!”

Araniel scowled at them and turned her back from the hearty bunch, muttering a few curses at the dirt floor. No one ever took her seriously in the gang at moments like this. Although she was one of the best fighters they had, somehow she always landed on simple stupid duties. Even though the other members teased her, she still saw them as family. Sometimes they could get a little overboard but a few disgusting stews always had them coming to apologize. 

The mine got narrower as she traveled deeper, her boots crunching on the scattered floor, roots and dirt snowed down at some moments from the ceiling, causing her to sneeze but soon enough at the end of the narrow exit of the mine, led to a small cave with a fresh stream. The stream would trickle around the entrance and around the small gravel island in the cave. It was dimly lit, the running water glittered from the reflecting of the torches that were carelessly put up, making the ceiling seem like stars twinkling in the night sky. On the middle of the island was a desk and treasures that their group had collected throughout the years. Pillaging, ransacking and murdering innocent civilians for just simple jewels and other material objects. Araniel at first did not find her occupation a pleasurable thing to think nor talk about. To her it seemed like mindless killing and destroying, but being with the group for so long she could not help to start the same way they felt. The need to take things that had been stolen from them when they were younger or just to feel the power that they could not have felt if they weren’t a part of a group. There sitting on a sturdy chair, looking at a map on the desk was the leader of these vagabonds. He was a nordic warrior who never spoke of his past life before this. Although having a rough beginning with the altmeri girl, the nordic leader had good relations that were built up within the years that she stayed with them. 

“So, Yulfir, you called?” Araniel echoed in the cave-like area, walking on the gravel that led to him sitting at a desk.

“Aye Ara, I hope Marcus did not have to wake you up, it’s quite minimal.” Yulfir looked over with tired eyes. He was always so buoyant but now he seemed very deflated, more than ever. His vibrant blue eyes were always buzzing but now like a cloudy day, his eyes were gray with remorse.

“No no, I’m fine, what’s the job? Cleaning up the skeevers in the mine?”

“Something different than that, I heard that there were some mercenaries that were clearing out bandits' nests and such. I want you to go with Rhea and take guard at the entrance.” He walked up to her and rested his hand on her shoulder. “You’ve always been a good girl, Araniel, thank you.”

“Hah-” Araniel scoffed, “Why are you making it seem like a goodbye, cheer up boss, with me and Rhea I know we can protect each other.” Yulfir gave a soft smile, “Yes...Now go get Rhea and once it’s midday you can switch out with Marcus and Fitire.” 

She mockingly bowed down and rumbled, “As you wish your highness.” 

She looked up expecting a cheerful face that would find her actions funny, but his grey eyes did not waver. She backed up and cleared her throat, “I, uh I’ll get going now.” She rubbed her head in embarrassment and walked away from him. Leaving the tranquil cave along with the stone faced leader. 

Walking back through the rugged cave and taking a right towards her bed roll, she grabbed her fallen helmet and fit it snuggly onto her head. She then grabbed her two blades that Marcus had made for her. Her gloved fingers ran across the sharpened edges and she then gripped the hilt.

“RHEA wake up!” 

Araniel shouted from her dense helmet. A rugged groan came from the wooden support by Araniel’s bedroll, a dark elf woman in light leather armor had yawned. “Must I be paired up with another female mir, one of those good looking nords would do well for me…but when you’re all geared up you could be mistaken for a man so I guess-”

“No Rhea, we need to be on actual duty today, Yulfir told me that a group of mercenaries have been clearing out bandit hives and we need to make sure that doesn't happen to us.” 

“What a bunch of horse shit.” Rhea spat out and groaned loudly, “Why would he have us do it then, I understand you but me? A bearable summoner who can what, summon one fire atronach oh yes have me guarding the front. Very smart.” 

“Well if you phrase it like that.”

Rhea scowled at her for admitting that she was basically useless. 

“Anyway beyond that let’s head out there now.” 

The two female mirs sat guard at the entrance of the broken down mine. Rhea was looking up at the sky, her mouth was open and her eyes were almost closed. 

Araniel shook her head and tried to ignore the dark elf not doing her work, but after her obnoxious snoring she became irritated.

“Hey wake your ass up.” 

She nudged the dark elf to the side with her blades’ scabbard, poking and prodding her to wake up. 

“By Mara…” The altmer girl grumbled and walked up to Rhea and began to shake her. “hEYYYYY.” 

Along with her yell, there were several yells that echoed back from the bottom of the mine's hill. Without thinking twice Araniel shoved Rhea away and pulled out her two blades. Walking slowly to the edge of the hill, to look below it, the plush grass was trampled by her heavy boots. 

“Rhea! Wake up, we have company!” But there was no response. She looked back and saw the female dark elf on the floor in deep sleep. 

“What in the nine gods are you doing! Rhea!”  
Araniel gulped and began to back up to the mine's entrance. Her legs began to shake but when she looked over to the unconscious dunmer she gripped her sword, when she had looked back she had seen a glint of red but that wasn’t on her mind at that moment. With a few breaths she walked back to the edge, to face the attackers who were advancing. Looking down the lush green hill once more she saw a flag of blue and white. A patrol of stormcloak soldiers with blood streaked faces came at her with their weapons drawn.

“Oh Mara, please show your mercy…this is so much worse then mercenaries.”


	2. A Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains graphic depiction of violence, death and war  
> You are warned

The sounds of yelling and screaming wavered in the air as the flurry of blades surrounded Araniel. She was breathless as her body undulated to move with the flow of the battle. Stormcloak soldiers and soldiers from the Empire were at each other’s necks like a pack of feral hounds, reaching and fighting for victory with their outstretched bloodied hands. Araniel had initially stood up against several stormcloak soldiers when they were rushing through the fresh battle ground, but that had changed when several horses littered with red banners and armor had jumped over her head from the top of the hill. Cavalry soldiers began to herd the enemy soldiers closer to Araniel. 

“Steady...STEADY, THOSE DAMN IMPERIAL BASTARDS AREN’ WORTH THE SWEAT. JUST GRAB HER AND GO!” 

A nord warrior howled from the back of the line near the altmer woman. He had a heavy bear head nestled on his own, his arms textured like straw with all of the war wounds that were slashed across his body.

With a strong command coming from their frightening leader, the soldiers endorsed in blue looked at Araniel with their weapons drawn. One warrior came at her with a two handed steel sword, as she swung it deep waves of wind would burst through from the sheer force of the swing. Araniel maneuvered her steps wisely as she conserved her energy, watching the female soldier’s attacks continue to plow through. Sparks flew across her face as she was finally forced to defend herself from these powerful attacks. When the nord soldier had worn herself out, and was breathing deeply under her helmet, it was Araniel’s turn for attack this time. 

Araniel’s orcish blades stabbed through the space as she lunged forward at the woman’s gut. The warrior parried her strike and pushed forward with a sluggish swing to the side. Taking this chance the altmer changed her grip on the blades and ducked under the large swinging sword and braced herself with her blades to slice in a parallel manner through the enemy’s waist. The soldier looked down in terror as her glistening blue eyes began to plead, she knew at this rate that the she-elf would cut through her armor and flesh. But it was too late, wasting her energy on strikes that did not hit Araniel, she had paid the price with her life. She let out a pained cry as the orcish blades embedded themselves deeply into the woman's body, and pulled out when the Altmer had kicked her off. No one could hear their comrades' last wounded cry, for when the two had been fighting, all around them was a mix of red and blue drowning out any other sounds by yelling and clashing steel. Blades swinging, fire and ice flourishing through the battlefield it seemed like the end of nirn when Araniel looked around, the once lush green grass that was so nice to lay down on at night to view the stars was now trampled with blood, sweat and steel. Araniel found herself free of her attackers for the moment as they were occupied with the opposing force. She quickly ran to the forgotten Dark Elf on the side of the entrance. 

“Rhea! Rhea!” Araniel shouted and shook her comrade. But when she lifted up her face to get a closer look, the dunmer’s mouth slid open and strange foam began to pour out. 

“By Mara what’s going on.”

She held Rhea’s lifeless form and quickly tried to open the door to the mines. To her shock the rusted broken down doors were sealed shut. She began to slam herself up against the door. Before she could scream for her friends, a hand had grabbed the inside of her armor and pulled her back from the door. An imperial soldier had then wrapped his arm around her throat and began to choke her. Her vision began to blur and she scratched and wiggled within the soldier's grasp. The more she struggled it seemed the more she began to fade. Her eyes sweltered with tears and her throat began to close shut. Araniel was a weakling compared to these battle hardened warriors fighting for their Empire. Letting out a whimper, she closed her eyes wanting to forget the excruciating pain that was undergoing her body, as her face turned blue. She wasn’t sure what was beyond death for her but there wasn’t anything else she could do. 

“So this is how the last dragonborn will decide her fate, by running to death. I was mistaken to come here and evaluate how strong you would be.” A condescending voice entered her mind. 

“Are you one of the gods here to mock me in my final moments in death?” Araniel echoed out to the voice in her head shamefully. 

She was suddenly in the dark, in her subconscious during her final moments.  
“Ah, it’s all beginning to make sense now, the dragonborn was very slow witted, no doubt in mind, you would have never been and never will be as powerful as me….” The voice answered in a dissatisfied manner. 

The dying altmer shook her head not caring anymore, “I think you misunderstand me, Mister Aedra or maybe Daedra, I never wanted to be really powerful, all I had wished for was-” She then stopped her sentence, unsure of what she had actually wanted in her life. Why did she join the bandit group and why did she not do anything else. Memories of her killing innocent families and terrorizing villages for fun, began to infect her mind and the voice only began to rumble in laughter.

“This is what Akatosh’s final child chose to do in her life? To abuse her strength to bully the weak? How ironic.”

The high elf stood in the dark with despair, the strange voice was right, she had wasted her life on such minimal things that only brought pain to others for what, material gain that she would soon lose because of her death?

Bright lights broke through cracks in the darkness as if to show her a path away from this limbo. Behind all the terrible deeds she had caused there was still a light that fought to light up the dark she was trapped in, leading her away from this treacherous looming path she was now facing. 

A single protruded into her mind as if it was not her own voice, “If you live past this death sentence, could you atone for the mistakes you have made?” 

All she had needed was a simple glance of hope, turning her back on the voice in her head, she ran to the bright light which began to grow brighter and brighter as she stepped closer. 

“So you intend to live Dragonborn?” A deep sigh rumbled in her mind, “ I suppose you still have a chance then, I will be watching you with great interest.” The voice muddled away once Araniel threw herself into the light. 

“If I am given a chance isn’t it worth a shot?” She whispered, letting the blinding light engulf her and bring her back to the land of the living.

\---------------------------------------------------

“Hey be careful with the girl, if word gets out we almost killed the dragonborn I don’t think we would hear the end of it.” 

“Captain, you should be blaming that brute of a Nord for almost KILLING her.” 

“Oh yea, no he will be having a word with me after we reach the capital don’t you worry.” The imperial captain growled at his subordinate with a dirty glance.

They had slumped Araniel over a horse to transport her as quickly as possible to Solitude. The soldier who had incapacitated her held the reins to the horse tightly, unaware what was brewing next to him.

“Hey! There’s something wrong with her, Capn’ her eyes, is it bad that they're open and um, kinda glowing?” Someone mentioned when they had looked back at her. 

“What in oblivion are you spewing now!” The entire squad of soldiers faced the woman in question, with confusion in their eyes. 

From the silence that Araniel had been left in, her mouth grew wide open, her bruised throat began to rumble as something deep within her core struggled to be released. The Captain at the front of the line grumbled something and began to walk to their captive and as he was about to evaluate her condition, he was met with an ear splitting shout, that blasted him back along with his soldiers from Araniel and the sturdy horse she was on. 

The squad had been thrown back by the sheer force she had let out, their bodies rolling across the cobble stone floor with their armor clattering on the road. Her shout had echoed through the trees and mountain, and their surroundings had swayed with the shout as if responding to a dragon's call. The horses that walked next to their masters with a calm demeanor now let out crazed eyes and reared up in terror, when they watched the humans get blown away. Araniel tied to one of those horses, slipped into her unconscious state once again when the mare riddled with red began to gallop away from the soldiers, spooked by the sound Araniel had released on her back. 

The soldier's that had been blasted down had sustained a few injuries, but it was enough to allow the horse that Araniel was on to have a head start into the woods. The soldier’s tried to calm their steads down to chase after the captive that they had painstakingly captured. But when they were finally able to sling themselves onto their steads and chase after the altmer woman, she had already disappeared into the thick forest without leaving a trace.

\---------  
Vilkas wiped the sweat off of his brow as he had sat down underneath the shade of a tree. His rough hands rummaged through his pack to search for his water flask only to look up and see his imperial companion hand his flask to him. 

“Ria, how did you have my flask?” Vilkas raised his hand and took the leather water pouch from her grasps. 

“Remember that I had to fill it up with water by the stream.” Ria grinned and sat next to him and pulled out some bread. 

“Ah, is that so.”

After that short conversation Vilkas kept his mouth shut and did not utter a word, he didn’t like to talk much during the hunts he did with Ria. He enjoyed the peace and tranquil nature around him unlike the loud and obnoxious bunch that constantly ruined his mood in Jorrvaskr. Feeling the cool winds on the hot summer day, the trees swaying letting out what seemed to be whispers within the wind, it all felt so peaceful to Vilkas. As he pulled out some notes written about the rogue werewolf that they had been hunting, Ria had spotted something shine in the corner of her eye within the bushes across from them, “I think there is something interesting by those shrubs I’m going to go see what it is.”

Vilkas nodded in response and sighed, “Come back as soon as you do that, we should keep following the tracks of the rogue werewolf.” He looked up and saw Ria skip over to where she said she was going to be and shook his head. That new welp had potential but she seemed very soft to him, luckily for her, Vilkas had been teaching her how to keep herself afloat.

When he looked back down to his notes he heard Ria gasp and murmur, “By the gods..”

Vilkas stood up and began to walk over, concerned about what she had found. He stood by her side and looked down to see a muddy altmer woman bounded by restraints. It looked like she was wearing very worn down steel plated armor, with deep scratches and bumps ingrained into the armor. But what concerned him the most was the deep purple coloring around the woman's neck.   
Vilkas heard the woman’s heart beat struggling to gather air into the lungs to continue working. With his large hands he slowly moved her legs and body in position and scooped her up within his gentle grasp, lifting her up to his chest, “Ria set up camp, we will be staying here for the night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I can start updating every week and a half, I realize if I try to write to quickly the quality is very poor...But if you are on the second chapter and are still willing to continue reading this fic that makes me so happy <3 Leave a comment because I would love to interact with you guys!


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